Want to kick the butt? Help is at hand!

Want to kick the butt? Help is at hand!

Johnson & Johnson's aggressive marketing of Nicorette, the sugar-free nicotine gum, has made smokers who want to kick the butt sit up and take notice.

Even as smoking cessation or Nicotine Replacement Therapy products were available in the market earlier, J&J's campaign has generated much awareness about the category.

"The media blitzkrieg for Nicorette has drawn consumers' attention to the product, in the process, the category itself has become quite visible," the marketing head of a healthcare company says.

"Enquiries are far more now because when consumers walk into a pharmacy looking for Nicorette, usually the counter manager also shows them other products in the same segment, highlighting their benefits," he adds.

Want to kick the butt? Help is at hand!

"The balance is made up of non-prescription and over-the-counter products, some of which are also sold through unorganised sales channels like paan shops.

"This can affect the quality of products, which is not so when your model is prescription-based," he says.

Gautam Suri, marketing manager, OTC, consumer products division, J&J, says, "The question is about awareness. We, for instance, are focusing on creating awareness about the need for a smoking cessation aid.

"That is how you will create an impact in the end."

Executives at Cipla and Pfizer also admit that a combination of quality, safety and awareness is what will drive the category in India -- attributes that have driven the international market for these products.

Want to kick the butt? Help is at hand!

This is a growth of 62.5 per cent over the previous year, when the smoking cessation market stood at $1.6 billion (or Rs 7,360 crore), industry sources say.

"Nobody denies the need for awareness for smoking cessation," says Harish Bijoor, chief executive officer of Bengaluru-based Harish Bijoor Consults. "Quite often people make resolutions to quit the habit, but are at a loss on how to do it," he says.

Suri agrees, "The large market that India is for tobacco consumption presents us with an opportunity to make an impact. Even if the craving for nicotine is high, there are people who want to quit the habit. That's where we step in."

Suri says the marketing campaign for Nicorette will be on for a while. Till then, the entire category can benefit.